On Tuesday morning, between 10am and 11am, people in the south-western département of Dordogne will receive a message from the FR-Alert system, as local authorities test the device.

FR-Alert is France’s nationwide system of emergency text alerts, which cover extreme weather, health alerts, chemical spills or terror attacks. They are sent directly to phones of people in the affected areas.

READ MORE: FR-Alert: How France’s emergency text alert system works

You can expect your phone to emit a ‘brief but shrill’ sound during the test, even if it is in silent mode. Then, the alert informs you of the location of the danger and steps to take to protect yourself.

The messages are sent to both French-registered and non-French phones which are in an alert zone – if you’re driving you will receive an alert as soon as you enter the alert zone.

As for language, messages will usually be sent in French, although local authorities in areas that are known tourist zones can opt to send their messages in both English and French.

Why the test on Tuesday?

The local authority (préfet) Jean-Sébastien Lamontagne told the French press during a briefing that Dordogne was “one of the last departments to test it”.

“Our goal is to verify that the system is in good working order and to make the general public aware of its presence,” Lamontagne added.